Lubricant cooling system



July 16, 1935. R, WOLF wamcurpooune sYsTEu Filed 0st. 1-3, 1933 Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUBRICANT COOLING SYSTEM Harry R. Wolf, Ferndale, Micln, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Dela- Application October 18, 1933, Serial No. 693,453

Claims.

5 inafter referred to as water).

The principal object of the invention is to provide a lubricant cooling system of the class dev scribed in which the lubricant may be cooled to a temperature which is lower than that to which it can be cooledin conventional systems of this class.

For a better understanding of'the nature and objects of the present invention, reference is made to the following specification in which there are described the embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating a lubricant cooling system in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating another lubricant cooling system in accordance with my invention. In the drawing, there is shown an internal combustion engine In which is provided with water jackets II and a water pump 13 and which may be equipped with a water cooling radiator l5 of the type shown in Figure 1 or a watercool the radiator through a conduit I 9-20 (or l9-- 20a) The engine is also equipped with a lubricant cooler 2| (or 2la) in which there is provided a passage 22 (or 22a), which is included in a circuit through which engine lubricant is adapted to be circulated by the engine lubricant pump or other suitable means, and a passage 23 (or 23a) through which cooled water from the radiator (or ISa) may flow in heat exchanging relation with the lubricant in the passage 22 (or 2211).

The outlet tank M of the radiator I5 is divided into a compartment 24 into which the water passages in the core of the radiator which are designated by the reference character 26 discharge and asmaller compartment 25 into'which the water passages which are designated by thereference character 21 discharge. To the compartment 24, the conduit lB-l'l is connected and to the compartment 25, there is connected one end of a conduit 28 through which water from the compartment 25 is adapted to flow-into the passage 23 of the lubricant cooler 2| whence it is adapted to flow into the passage Iii-41 through a conduit 29.

The core of the radiator l5a is divided into 'a main sectionlfia' and an auxiliary section 21a between which the tank Ma is located. Into the tank Ma, the water passages in the main section of the core discharge and from the tank Illa, water fiows into the water passages in the auxiliary section of the core whence it is discharged into the auxiliary outlet tank 25a. To the tank Ma, the conduit I6cll is connected and to the tank 25a, there is connected one end of a When an engine equipped with a cooling system of the type shown in Figure 1 is operating, lubricant is continuously withdrawn from the engine, circulated through the passage 22 in heat exchanging relation with the cooled water in the passage 23 and returned to the engine and water is continuously discharged from the engine water jackets ll through the conduit iii-2t into the inlet tank Not the radiator, whence a part of it passes through the water passages 26, the outlet compartment 24, the conduit lt-ll and the pump. I3 back into the water jackets and the remainder passes through the water passages 21, the outlet compartment '25, the conduit 28, the passage 23, and the conduit 29 into the conduit Iii-l7 and back into the water jackets with the water from the outlet compartment 24.

'Becausethere is more resistance to the flow of water through the passages 21, 25, 28, 23 and. 29 than-through the passages 26, 24 and iii-ll to the junction of the conduit 29 therewith, waterwill flow more-slowly through the water passages 21 than through the water passages 26. Consequently, the water in the passages 21 will be cooled to a lower temperature than that in the passages 26 and, therefore, the lubricant which passes through the lubricant cooler 2! will be cooled to a lower temperature than it would be if the lubricant cooler were installed in the conventional manner.

When an engine equipped with a cooling system of the type shown in Figure 2 is operating, lubricant is continuously withdrawn from the engine,

circulated through the passage 22a in heat exjackets ll, through the conduit Iii-20a, the inlet tank I8a of the radiator and the water passages in the main section 26a of the radiator core, into the outlet tank Ma, whence a part of it passes through the conduit l6a-l'l and the pump l3 back into the water jackets and the remainder passes, through the water passages in the auxiliary section 21a of the core, the auxiliary outlet tank 25a, the conduit 28a, the passage 23a, and the conduit 29a, into the conduit l6a,--l| and back into the water jackets with the water from the outlet tank Ma.

Obviously, the water which passes through the auxiliary section 210, of the radiator core will be cooled to a lower temperature than that which passes only through the main section 26a of the core and, consequently, the lubricant which passes through the lubricant cooler Zla will be cooled to a lower temperature than it would be if the lubricant cooler were installed in the conventional manner.

The herelnbefore described lubricant cooling systems may be modified and/or refined in various ways, e. g., by providing, as shown in Figure 1, a thermostatically operated valve 30 in the water passage to, through or from the lubricant cooler to regulate the flow of water therethrough in accordance with the temperature of the water.

It will, of course, be understood that although I have illustrated my invention as applied to an engine cooling fluid and a lubricant cooler through which part of the engine cooling fluid is adapted to pass successively as it travels from the point at which it is discharged to'the point at which it re-enters the jacket.

2. The invention claimed in claim I in which the auxiliary radiator and the lubricant cooler are in parallel with the first-mentioned radiator.

3. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which the auxiliary radiator and the lubricant cooler are in series with the first-mentioned radiator.

4. In an internal combustion engine provided with an engine cooling fluid jacket, a radiator for cooing engine cooling fluid, a passage for conducting heated engine cooling fluid from the jacket to the radiator, a passage for conducting cooled engine cooling fluid from the radiator to the jacket, and a lubricant cooler, said radiator including engine cooling fluid cooling passages, an inlet tank communicating with said engine cooling fluid cooling passages, an outlet tank communicating with some of said engine cooling passages and directly with the second-mentioned passage, an outlet 'tank communicating with the remainder of the engine cooling fluidcooling passages and with the second-mentioned passage through the lubricant cooler.

5. In an internal combustion engine provided with anfengine cooling fluid jacket, a radiator for cooling engine cooling fluid, a passage for conducting heated engine cooling fluid from the jacket to the radiator, a passage for conducting cooled engine cooling fluid from the radiator to the jacket, said radiator including two sets of engine cooling fluid cooling passages, a passage communicating with both sets of engine cooling fluid cooling passages and directly with the secend-mentioned passage, and a lubricant cooler through which one set 'of the engine cooling fluid cooling passages communicates with the secondmentioned passage.

' HARRY R. WOLF. 

